Glucophage for weight loss: instructions for use and analogues

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Excess body weight today is not at all associated with attractiveness. Therefore, it is not surprising that a variety of means have been used to combat extra pounds. In particular, in an attempt to get a perfect figure, women turn to the use of drugs that were originally intended to treat diseases. This statement is also true regarding Glucophage Long. This is a pharmaceutical product whose main purpose is to reduce sugar levels. Glucophage Long is available in several versions. Particularly popular is the one in which the dosage of the active substance is 500 mg. What features makes it different?

Glucophage Long and instructions for use

The drug Glucophage 750 is a complex of pharmacological substances with hypoglycemic action aimed at lowering glucose levels in the bloodstream, as well as significantly improving the sensitivity of organ and tissue cells to insulin, a hormone that promotes the absorption of sugars at the molecular level.

It's no secret that a constant increase in blood sugar is a serious problem for human health.

It is due to the fact that certain areas of the pancreas, called the islets of Langerhans (anatomically, they constitute its tail part), which are responsible for the production of insulin due to factors that have not been fully studied, begin to gradually lose their function, the ducts in them are replaced by connective tissue, and the level of production insulin levels are significantly reduced.

If the sugar level is not adjusted in time, then over time such a destructive picture will lead to more serious consequences - often patients with advanced diabetes die from gangrenous lesions that turn into sepsis.

How does it work for obesity?

Glucophage Long is mainly prescribed for obesity to prevent the development of diabetes and weight loss. Its job is to activate the oxidation of fatty acids and reduce the absorption of carbohydrates from food.

Glucophage also increases the body's sensitivity to insulin, so its production is significantly reduced. And this mechanism plays a key role in the process of losing weight, since it is this hormone that converts calories into fat. So the more it is, the faster the weight and volume increases.

Glucophage is especially helpful for abdominal obesity, since immediately after eating the amount of sugar increases greatly. And in response, the pancreas intensively secretes insulin, which converts glucose into fat depots.

Due to the fact that Glucophage reduces the amount of the hormone, it makes it easier to control appetite.

Composition and dosage of Glucophage Long

Excipients: carmellose sodium – 37.5 mg, hypromellose 2208 – 294.24 mg, magnesium stearate – 5.3 mg.
The drug is available in different dosages. The most common dosages are 500 and 750 mg; variations can also be found in 800, 850 and 1000 mg. The drug is produced in the form of small white-coated tablets, packed in a foil blister.

Packaging varies between 10–15 pieces, depending on the manufacturer. Total quantity 15, 30 60 pieces. Among analogues of the drug you can find packaging in 120 pieces.

In addition, the drug is offered in different types of dosages:

• 500 mg – mainly intended for the treatment of diabetes in children;
• 750 mg – prolonged action: used both for the treatment of diabetes and as a complex for weight loss.

Indications for use Glucophage Long

Glucophage is a pharmacologically produced drug that should be used with caution, carefully considering all the pros and cons.

Indications for use:

• As a combination treatment for diabetes mellitus. The drug combines well with other medicinal substances.
• As one of the comprehensive measures for weight loss.

As a means to regulate blood glucose levels in other diseases and conditions:

• surgical interventions on the stomach, gallbladder and pancreas;
• after suffering a heart attack or stroke. The level of sugar in the blood plasma plays a decisive role in the condition of the walls of blood vessels.

Use with caution when:

• Mild forms of renal failure, if a history of concomitant disease indicates diabetes mellitus;
• Anorexia. It can be used for faster and deeper absorption of glucose compounds and other nutrients by cells.
• In combination with other drugs, especially those regulating blood sugar levels;
• If you suspect hypo and hyperglycemic comas.

Glucophage Long for weight loss

The assessment of the drug as a comprehensive method of weight correction and weight loss itself is undoubtedly high.

Since by regulating blood sugar levels, it automatically stabilizes metabolic processes in the body, which means it greatly affects the degree of fat deposition in organs and tissues, significantly slowing down this process.

Benefits and harm to the body

The main merit of Glucophage is the reduction of insulin levels in human blood. It normalizes the body's metabolic processes. In addition, the drug interferes with the absorption of carbohydrates and the formation of glucose from non-carbohydrate foods. Therefore, fat reserves are not deposited. Normalizing insulin also helps control appetite. The ability of Glucophage to remove glucose from muscle fibers helps reduce the desire to snack.

Also, regular use of the drug helps reduce the level of bad cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of developing vascular and heart diseases. According to medical research, Glucophage Long reduces the likelihood of diabetes and stroke by almost 40%, and myocardial infarction by more than 35%.

However, the drug has a number of contraindications, which you should definitely familiarize yourself with. Exceeding the dosage or an individual reaction of the body can cause the following side effects:

• diarrhea, bloating and intestinal upset;
• nausea, vomiting and aversion to food;
• strange and unpleasant taste in the mouth.

Also, if a person has had problems with the kidneys or liver, then taking the drug can worsen the problems and lead to failure.

Drinking Glucophage Long for weight loss is possible only after prior consultation with a doctor and in the absence of diseases.

We recommend reading about the drug “Metformin for weight loss. You will learn about the properties of Metformin, uses and contraindications, rules of administration for weight loss, results. And here is more information about the weight loss drug Siofor.

Pros and cons of admission

Each gold medal has both a forward and reverse side:

Reviews from doctors about the drug Glucophage

Experts often prescribe Glucophage to patients not only for the purpose of treatment, but also for prevention. All recommendations are made based on laboratory tests.

The undoubted advantage of the medicine, doctors say, is the absence of hypoglycemia as a result of use.

That is, the medication will not reduce your sugar level to a critical level. Also, the pills will not work if they are not needed.

This property makes it possible to call Glucophage a safe drug, on the basis of which it is included in the list of over-the-counter drugs.

How to take Glucophage Long for weight loss?

The drug must be prescribed by a doctor, and also given instructions on how and how much to drink per month:

• For the purpose of additional therapy in the treatment of diabetes, Glucophage Long is used in a dosage selected by a specialist, most often this is a single dose of 750 mg tablet taken during dinner.
• On the first day, 2-3 tablets are taken with each meal, then a single 750 mg tablet is taken. During dinner every day.
• If Glucophage Forte is prescribed to a person suffering from an insulin-dependent form of diabetes, then the form of administration is selected individually by the attending physician - often this drug is taken one tablet along with an insulin injection. The dose of the latter is determined by blood glucose levels.
• For children, the dosage regimen is selected individually, based on age and clinical condition.
• If the drug is used for general weight loss, it is recommended to divide the tablet into 2 doses of half a tablet - breakfast and dinner. This is explained by the fact that in this case the human body, as a rule, does not suffer from metabolic disorders and needs a slight correction of lipid consumption by tissues. Accordingly, small dosages will slightly adjust sugar to the desired level and thereby significantly slow down the deposition of fat in the body.
• When using this medicinal substance, mandatory adherence to a diet becomes a particularly important factor: it is recommended to abstain or limit the consumption of baked goods, sweets, as well as saltiness, since the latter will prevent the removal of excess water from the body. This moisture appears from the breakdown of lipids accumulated in tissues, and its removal plays an important factor in weight loss.

For more effective weight loss, sports exercises of varying intensity are recommended, as they increase metabolism and thereby increase the effectiveness of the drug.

Recommendations for taking the drug:

• In the process of losing weight , as well as to correct sugar levels, it is necessary to take a sufficient amount of water.
• It would be useful to undergo a medical examination to accurately select the treatment regimen and dosage.
• The drug does not taste the most pleasant, so it is recommended for sensitive people, as well as children, to give it in combination with something sweet in order to slightly mask the characteristic bitter aftertaste.
• During treatment or correction of sugar with drugs of the metamorphine series , it is very important to prevent the development of colds, as well as exacerbation of existing chronic forms. This is explained by a sharp increase in metabolic processes, and, accordingly, a more intense spread of infectious foci.

Interaction of Glucophage with other drugs

When using this drug, it is very important to inform your doctor about all concomitant diseases. Such an event can protect against the onset of negative consequences as a result of taking two incompatible drugs.

The attached instructions contain a specific list of medications that are prohibited or not recommended when using Glucophage. These include iodine-containing contrast agents, which are strictly prohibited to be taken during metformin therapy.

Among the non-recommended combinations are alcoholic beverages and preparations containing ethanol. The simultaneous use of them and Glucophage can lead to lactic acidosis.

There are also a number of drugs that have different effects on the hypoglycemic effect of Glucophage. Thus, some of them provoke an even greater decrease in sugar levels, while others, on the contrary, cause hyperglycemia.

Drugs that enhance the hypoglycemic effect:

1. ACE inhibitors.
2. Salicylates.
3. Insulin.
4. Acarbose.
5. Sulfonylurea derivatives.

Substances that weaken hypoglycemic properties - danazol, chlorpromazine, beta2-adrenergic agonists, corticosteroids.

Does the drug help with weight loss?

The main active ingredient in this drug is metmorphine hydrochloride.

According to biochemical parameters, it belongs to the group of biguanines, which can reduce the concentration of active sugars in the blood plasma, and at the same time increase the sensitivity of cells to insulin. It is thanks to these properties that the effect of settling the components is achieved.

At the same time, hypromellose (groups 2910 and 2208 Mkt), carmellose sodium, sodium stearate and cellulose compounds are used as additional substances to give shape and correct taste.

Cheaper preparations contain starch products. It is worth noting that this fact reduces the medicinal properties of the drug as a whole.

Metmorphine hydrochloride is a double guanide that lowers sugar levels in all blood components (primarily in the cytoplasm). As a result of its use, the overall sensitivity of cells to insulin increases, the synthesis of sugars in the liver is reduced, which significantly facilitates its work, and also reduces the concentration of sugar in the urine, which prevents the destruction of the kidneys.

Dietary recommendations

Following a special diet is very important to achieve the desired result. First of all, you need to exclude all fast carbohydrates from your diet, namely: buns, sweets, semi-finished products, foods containing sugar. You will also have to get rid of starchy fruits like bananas, potatoes and grapes. Dried fruits and sugary juices are prohibited.

The amount of vegetables with coarse plant fibers should be increased. The menu must include grains and beans.

Intestinal upset may be due to a large amount of carbohydrates, so you will have to reconsider your diet.

We recommend reading about the drug Xenical for weight loss. You will learn about the properties of the drug, the advantages of its use, disadvantages, and contraindications. And here you can read more about the benefits of lipoic acid for weight loss.

Glucophage Long may help reduce weight in certain cases. But we must not forget about the special nutrition program. In addition, you should not take the drug for a long time, as this can lead to health problems. The effectiveness of the product depends on the individual characteristics of the body.

Side effects of Glucophage Long

However, we must not forget about possible side effects:

• gastrointestinal disorders caused by a reaction to the drug: nausea, abdominal pain, in some cases vomiting is possible;
• delayed skin allergic reactions (urticaria, itching);
• ineffectiveness of the drug for a specific organism - it is known that drugs cannot be a single panacea for everyone;
• a sudden loss of appetite is possible;
• despite the fact that Glucophage helps improve metabolism and better absorption of certain groups of vitamins, it is noted that with prolonged use a reverse reaction is possible - a decrease in the absorption of vitamin B12;
• The drug does not taste very pleasant and therefore an unpleasant taste in the mouth may persist for some time, as well as a not very good smell.

Combination with other drugs

As part of complex treatment, it is necessary to take into account the combination of Glucophage with other drugs:

• Combination with Danazol leads to the opposite effect - glucose concentration increases.
• Insulin enhances the hypoglycemic effect.
• Antibacterial drugs make it difficult for metformin to be absorbed.
• Diuretics increase the risk of hyperglycemia, but in the presence of nephrological pathologies.

A combination of metformin with multivitamin complexes (without sugar) and sedatives based on medicinal herbs is allowed.

Contraindications for use

The drug has the following contraindications:

• Pregnancy and lactation – data on the effect on the fetus and infancy have not been fully studied.
• Individual intolerance or allergy to the constituent components.
• Dysfunction or failure of the kidneys , liver, lungs.
• For oncological diseases: due to complete or total metabolic disorders that occur at various stages of oncological tumors, the use of the drug Glucophage Long 750 is not advisable, due to its active effect on metabolic processes in the human body - it can create a provocation for the further spread of pathological cells.
• Any infectious diseases in the acute stage.
• The presence of chemical dependence (drug addiction, substance abuse, alcoholism). The composition is chemically incompatible with ethyl alcohol and some types of narcotic drugs.
• Oncology. Chemotherapy drugs often neutralize the effect of glucophage.
• Acute gangrenous conditions. The use of the drug can accelerate the migration of infection to other organs and tissues and thereby contribute to the development of the septic process.
• It is not recommended to use it after CT, MRI or X-ray examinations within the next 48 hours , since minor metabolic dysfunctions associated with the interaction of the drug with the contrast agents used in these examinations occur under the influence of radiation.
• If there is a need to treat a person under 18 years of age with the drug , then the use of the drug should be strictly controlled by a doctor.

Analogues of Glucophage Long

Pharmacology of the latest generation offers its buyer both different variations of Glucophage itself and a wide variety of its analogues. It is known that this drug is produced in its name by different manufacturing countries.

France and Norway are recognized as the main leaders in its production; French packaging is the most common and, as a rule, there are two types - glucophage - 500 mg and glucophage Long (extended action) - 750 mg. The Norwegian manufacturer, in addition to these packages, has Glucophage Long 800 mg - with a slightly increased dosage.

Among the analogues of Glucophage Long based on the leading active substance (metmorphine hydrochloride) on pharmacy counters you can find:

• Gliformin.
• Formitin.
• Langerin.
• Bagomed.
• Sophamet.
• Metmorphine hydrochloride.

Gliformin

Formetin

Langerin

Bagomet

Sophamet

Metformin hydrochloride

Price for Glucophage Long

In pharmacies in Moscow and the Moscow region, Matmorphin preparations can be found at prices ranging from 280 to 800 rubles .

Pricing policy is influenced by many factors, including:

• Dosage of the drug and number of tablets in the package.
• Manufacturer of the drug - imported analogues will cost much more in price than their representatives from Russia.
• Delivery to remote regions, as a rule, includes many factors: the price of fuel, its cost, as well as various markups of intermediaries.
• As a consequence of the previous point - the number of intermediaries - the smaller the retail network, the more expensive the cost of drugs in it.